Process for the manufacture of 2-amino-6-hydroxy-8-(hydroxymethyl) pteridine



Patented Feb. 8, 1949 PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Z-AMINO-G-HYDROXY -8- (HYDROXY- METHYL) PTERIDINE Hans Spiegelberg and Grald Rey-Bellet, Basel, Switzerland, assignors to Hofimann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, N. J a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application January 24, 1948, Se-

rial No. 4,219. 1947 1 Claim.

Pteridines are prepared by reacting 4,5-diamine-pyrimidine with a 1,2-di-oxo-compound or a 2-oxo-carboxylic acid.

It has now been found, according to the present invention, that the hitherto unknown 2- amino-fi-hydroxy-B-(hydroxymethyl) pteridine may easily be obtained by heating dihydroxyacetone with 2,4-diamino-5-nitroso-6-hydroxypyrimidine in alkaline solution.

In analogy to the usual methods for preparing pteridines, 2-amino-6-hydroxy-8-(hydroxymethyD-pteridine would be obtained by condensing 2,4,5-triamino-6-hydroXy-pyrimidine with hydroxymethyl-glyoxal (reductone). The process of the present invention entails the double advantage of making unnecessary the preparation of the said triamino-pyrimidine, on the one hand, and. of allowing the easily obtainable dihydroxyacetone to be used in place of hydroxymethyl-glyoxal, obtainable only with diificulty, on the other hand.

The 2-amino-6-hydroxy-8(hydroxymethyl)- pteridine is a micro-crystalline light yellow pow- .der which decomposes at a temperature above ,300" C. and which is hardly soluble in water and organic solvents. It is useful as intermediate for the preparation of compounds valuable in In Switzerland February 3,

Ewample 7.75 parts by weight of 2,4-diamino-5-nitroso- G-hydroXy-pyrimidine, 175 parts of water, and parts by weight of normal sodium hydroxide are heated to boiling and filtered, whereupon 30 parts by weight of dihydroxy-acetone are added in one lot. After boiling for 2 minutes, the color has changed from red to brown, and the reaction is terminated. A small precipitate is filtered off, and the filtrate is acidified with acetic acid, whereby 3.75 parts by weight of almost pure 2- amino-G-hydroxy 8 (hydroxy-methyl) pteridine are obtained. For complete purification, the product is recrystallized from 3000 parts of water.

We claim:

Process for the manufacture of 2-amino-6-hydroxy-B- (hydroxymethyl) -pteridine, comprising heating dihydroxy-acetone with di-amino-5-nitroso-6-hydroxy-pyrimidine in alkaline solution to produce. a compound of the formula HANS SPIEGELBERG. GERALD REY-BELLET.

No references cited. 

